Providing software for user demonstration may be difficult. For example, a stand alone software product may be demonstrated through physically delivering a trial copy to a user, or permitting download of a trial copy and subsequent installation on a user's machine, and there are few technical difficulties associated with such procedures. However, if the software is not standalone, and/or requires installation and integration with existing software, a demonstration cannot easily be installed and less easily removed from a user's system.
One example of software that needs integration into a user's system or network is email system software. Email system software usually requires installation on a server and configuration to accommodate the network and its users. Although demonstration copies can be provided on demonstration machines, the peculiarities of a user's system and/or network may make any such demonstration of such a software product less than convincing.
If the software is being offered as a service, such as might be done by an Application Service Provider (“ASP”) with an email scanning service, demonstration difficulties are multiplied. When email scanning software is offered as a service, a live demonstration requires resources—a sales person for example, with a properly configured machine. Similar to the difficulties noted above with regard to demonstrating a product, demonstrating a service on a machine or network other than a user's machine or network may simply be unconvincing.
Internet based demonstrations do eliminate at least one difficulty associated with software demonstration of either a service or product by making distribution of a trial product or service less costly than physical demonstration. However, Internet demonstrations of a software service that requires integration with a user's system or network, such as an email system, may be impossible because the Internet or file server offering the demonstration software service is not the user's. Thus, integration issues cannot be revealed in such a demonstration.
Certain methods have been developed to attempt to solve software service distribution difficulties. For example, a virus scanning service for email may let the user send his or her email to a server for virus scanning. This method often provides an open relay. In other words, email is sent to a server and the server scans the email and then forwards the email according to its address. The problem with this method is that open relay mail servers are insecure, for example, an email server may be used to distribute unsolicited bulk email (UBE); as a platform of attack for an email denial of service, etc. Difficulties may multiply—once a mail server is being used to distribute UBE or in another unauthorized fashion, the server may be blacklisted or isolated from other email servers through placement on a DNS blocked list, etc. Thus an open relay method may be unacceptable.
Another method is to allow potential customers to send email to the server which is then processed and returned to the sender. However, this method may also be unacceptable because a user may intercept email that is to be returned to the sender. For example, a malicious user could surreptitiously install a program on the demonstration server that allows the interception of email.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for demonstrating software.